The field of the disclosure relates generally to a machine for joining two blanks of sheet material, and more specifically to methods and a machine for securely coupling the two blanks together to form a two-piece blank that subsequently may be used to form a container.
Containers fabricated from paperboard and/or corrugated paperboard material are often used to store and transport goods. These containers can include four-sided containers, six-sided containers, eight-sided containers, bulk bins and/or various size corrugated barrels. Such containers are usually formed from blanks of sheet material that are folded along a plurality of preformed fold lines to form an erected container. Moreover, at least some known containers are formed using a machine. As just one example, a blank may be positioned near a mandrel on a machine, and the machine may be configured to wrap the blank around the mandrel to form at least a portion of the container. In at least some cases, the use of the machine greatly increases a rate at which the containers may be formed and/or filled with goods.
In addition, at least some known containers are formed from multiple blanks. In some cases, the use of multiple blanks facilitates forming a container with an easily removable portion, such that the container may easily be converted into a display tray. Additionally or alternatively, the use of multiple blanks facilitates forming a container with reinforced strength in selected portions of the container. However, in at least some cases, forming a container from multiple blanks using a machine requires increased complexity of the machine and/or reduces the rate at which the containers may be formed and/or filled with goods, relative to machines for forming containers from single blanks.